Ruthenium complexes containing 2-(2-nitrosoaryl)pyridine: structural, spectroscopic, and theoretical studies.

Ruthenium complexes containing 2-(2-nitrosoaryl)pyridine (ON(^)N) and tetradentate thioether 1,4,8,11-tetrathiacyclotetradecane ([14]aneS4), [Ru(ON(^)N)([14]aneS4)](2+) [ON(^)N = 2-(2-nitrosophenyl)pyridine (2a), 10-nitrosobenzo[h]quinoline (2b), 2-(2-nitroso-4-methylphenyl)pyridine, (2c), 2-(2-nitrosophenyl)-5-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine (2d)] and analogues with the 1,4,7-trithiacyclononane ([9]aneS3)/tert-butylisocyanide ligand set, [Ru(ON(^)N)([9]aneS3)(C≡N(t)Bu)](2+) (4a and 4b), have been prepared by insertion of a nitrosonium ion (NO(+)) into the Ru-aryl bond of cyclometalated ruthenium(II) complexes. The molecular structures of the ON(^)N-ligated complexes 2a and 2b reveal that (i) the ON(^)N ligands behave as bidentate chelates via the two N atoms and the bite angles are 86.84(18)-87.83(16)° and (ii) the Ru-N(NO) and N-O distances are 1.942(5)-1.948(4) and 1.235(6)-1.244(5) Å, respectively. The Ru-N(NO) and N-O distances, together with ν(N═O), suggest that the coordinated ON(^)N ligands in this work are neutral moiety (ArNO)(0) rather than monoanionic radical (ArNO)(•-) or dianion (ArNO)(2-) species. The nitrosated complexes 2a-2d show moderately intense absorptions centered at 463-484 nm [ε(max) = (5-6) × 10(3) dm(3) mol(-1) cm(-1)] and a clearly discriminable absorption shoulder around 620 nm (ε(max) = (6-9) × 10(2) dm(3) mol(-1) cm(-1)), which tails up to 800 nm. These visible absorptions are assigned as a mixing of d(Ru) → ON(^)N metal-to-ligand charge-transfer and ON(^)N intraligand transitions on the basis of time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations. The first reduction couples of the nitrosated complexes range from -0.53 to -0.62 V vs Cp(2)Fe(+/0), which are 1.1-1.2 V less negative than that for [Ru(bpy)([14]aneS4)](2+) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine). Both electrochemical data and DFT calculations suggest that the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals of the nitrosated complexes are ON(^)N-centered. Natural population analysis shows that the amount of positive charge on the Ru centers and the [Ru([14]aneS4)] moieties in 2a and 2b is larger than that in [Ru(bpy)([14]aneS4)](2+). According to the results of the structural, spectroscopic, electrochemical, and theoretical investigations, the ON(^)N ligands in this work have considerable π-acidic character and behave as better electron acceptors than bpy.